Derry finally kill off Lazarus Dubs in an Easter rising of Gaelic football
OVER THE LINE: Derry’s Shane McGuigan celebrates at the final whistle. Pic: James Crombie, Inpho
On Easter Sunday, Gaelic football rose again.
From the pulpit, GAA president Jarlath Burns wasn’t going to blaspheme but his satisfaction with this enthralling Division 1 final was unmistakeable.
Nine years ago, a meeting of these teams prompted the former Armagh captain to announce on social media “the death of Gaelic football”. On the basis of this game, Derry’s first Division 1 title in 16 years, it has resurrected.
Dublin had twice delivered their own Lazarus-like performance. However, it seemed appropriate the team that had led at all the crucial stages came out on top eventually.
Following up a McKenna Cup with a Division 1 title, Mickey Harte is making hay since his high-profile switch from Louth to Tyrone’s rivals and he rightly championed this epic encounter.
“I just think it was a great day for Gaelic games and a great day for the National League finals to stay on the calendar because what an anti-climax it would have been if we won the National League last Sunday in Celtic Park compared to what had happened out there today. Is that a great case for it?"
Repeating their penalty shoot-out victory in last year’s Ulster final, Derry once again stayed the course but it is a rare prized scalp in Croke Park that will fuel them ahead of facing fellow Sunday winners Donegal in Celtic Park on April 20.
In the end, Shane McGuigan, Conor Glass and Ethan Doherty all found their mark from the spot. Paul Mannion was the only Dublin player to convert after Con O’Callaghan smashed his shot against the crossbar and afterwards Lorcan O’Dell’s attempt was saved by Odhrán Lynch and Tom Lahiff’s strike hit the butt of the post.
The early exchanges in extra-time indicated another tiebreaker would be required. Substitutes Niall Toner and Killian O’Gara had exchanged a brace of points in the first half of extra-time. A Conor Doherty point ensured the Ulster champions went in ahead at the turnaround, 2-18 to 1-20.
Stretching so well for a Cormac Murphy pass, Eoin McEvoy then blasted his second goal. Three points remained the difference until substitute Greg McEneaney retrieved the ball after hit-and-hope into the square and fired an equalising goal with little or no space to speak of.
Just before that, Dublin had lost Brian Fenton to a harsh red card for a push on Eunan Mulholland and after it Paddy Small was dismissed for a second yellow card offence.
For the 100 or so minutes, Dublin had 10 different scorers from play and the list did not feature any of their three leading men, Fenton, Ciarán Kilkenny and Con O’Callaghan. If that was unusual, so too was the four goal openings that went abegging for Derry in the second half.
Having been inseparable at half-time, 1-7 to 0-10, a contentious Conor Doherty foul on Cian Murphy gave Con O’Callaghan the chance to send the game into extra-time.
Two Derry goals in four early second-half minutes had threatened to turn the game on its head. Eoin Murchan was deemed to have fouled on Ethan Doherty in the 39th minute after Brendan Rogers found him with a pinpoint pass. Shane McGuigan obliged from the penalty spot to put Derry a point up.
Evan Comerford was beaten a second time less than three minutes later when Paul Cassidy's effort was marginally off target. However, they were celebrating another green flag when a long kick-out was touched on and Eoin McEvoy blasted high to the net. The goal, which had hallmarks of Ryan McHugh’s in the 2014 All-Ireland semi-final, put Derry three ahead.
They led by two in the 54th minute when an Ethan Doherty shot was parried by Evan Comerford and Murchan came to the rescue to put it out for a 45, which Conor Glass converted.
Derry stretched their cushion to four points through a Lachlan Murray mark and could have closed out the game when they again caught Dublin on a restart break but Murray’s strike was kept out by Comerford.
At the Davin Stand End, Seán MacMahon’s speed had created a crevasse in Derry’s cover but his shot blazed over the bar. Ross McGarry followed with another point in the last minute of normal time before O’Callaghan sent the final into extra-time.
Derry had opened up with the first two points of the game, both from McGuigan, one from play, although that advantage was cancelled out by the seventh minute as Tom Lahiff finished off a kick-out break and O’Callaghan punished a Murray foul on Colm Basquel.
Derry, with a bellowing wind behind them, hit back with the next three scores, the third of them a fine Niall Loughlin point that originated with great pressure exerted on the Dublin attack and Ciarán Kilkenny being turned over.
After Brian Howard hit back with a point, Basquel found the net in the 16th minute. Killian McGinnis’ kick was punched out by Odhrán Lynch to Basquel who duly took advantage of the good fortune.
Dublin pushed two points up seven minutes later and Niall Scully had a shot kept out by a Diarmuid Baker block in the 29th minute. However, Derry were back on level terms seconds later and hauled Dublin back to parity on two more occasions before the break.
At the end of the next half, it was Dublin who were the team catching up but in a rare final mistake Derry ultimately gave them the slip.
C. O’Callaghan (0-5, frees); C. Basquel (1-1); G. McEneaney (1-0); T. Lahiff, R. McGarry, K. O’Gara, C. Murphy (0-2 each); B. Howard, S. Bugler, N. Scully, K. McGinnis, P. Mannion (free), P. Small, S. MacMahon (0-1 each).
E. McEvoy (2-2); S. McGuigan (1-4, 1-0 pen, 0-2 frees); L. Murray (0-3, 1 mark); C. Glass (1 45), N. Loughlin, N. Toner (0-2 each); E. Doherty, B. Rogers, C. Doherty (0-1 each).
E. Comerford; C. Murphy, S. McMahon, E. Murchan; B. Howard, J. Small, T. Lahiff; B. Fenton, K. McGinnis; S. Bugler, C. Kilkenny, R. McGarry; N. Scully, C. O’Callaghan (c), C. Basquel.
P. Mannion for K. McGinnis (52); P. Small for C. Basquel, L. O’Dell for N. Scully (both 57); K. O’Gara for R. McGarry (70); T. Clancy for E. Murchan (80); C. O’Connor for S. MacMahon (e-t h-t); G. McEneaney for S. Bugler (87).
Red card: B. Fenton (90+2), P. Small (second yellow, 90+4).
O. Lynch; D. Baker, C. McKaigue, C. McCluskey; P. McGrogan, E. McEvoy, C. Doherty; C. Glass (c), B. Rogers; E. Doherty, C. McFaul, P. Cassidy; L. Murray, N. Loughlin, S. McGuigan.
G. McKinless for P. McGrogan (h-t); N. Toner for G. McKinless (53); C. Murphy for N. Loughlin (66); D. Gilmore for P. Cassidy (70); E. Bradley for L. Murray (78); D. Cassidy for C. McKaigue (80+1); E. Mulholland for C. Doherty (88).
C. Lane (Cork).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
